Town school board eyes sex-ed policy change

MARBLEHEAD – Changing the phrase “opt out” to “opt in” can make a big difference in the number of students who take wellness classes.School Committee member Jonathan Lederman found that out the hard way Thursday when he submitted a rewritten version of the School Committee policy on health education.Lederman offered no changes in the way health education is offered in kindergarten-Grade 6 but, in Grades 7-12 where health education includes varying amounts of sex education, he wanted to prevent children from taking those classes unless their parents sent the school a signed permission slip, a procedure called “opt-in.”Currently parents must send a signed form to the school to prevent their children from taking health education, a procedure called “opt-out.”His policy rewrite also required schools to provide parents with detailed information on the heath education classes, so that parents could make informed decisions about letting children take the classes.If parents failed to return the permission form, their children would also be prevented from taking the class. If parents currently fail to return an “opt-out” form their children may still take health education.?I want to avoid parent surprises,” Lederman said.School Committee Chairman EuRim Chun and Dick Nohelty supported part of his change, but Kathy Leonardson and Patricia Blackmer voted against it, noting that school staff were not consulted on a change which affected them.Lederman submitted that policy change to his colleagues 48 hours before the meeting.His attempt to have the policy accepted as a first reading – he pointed out that a policy must be read three times at three meetings to be fully approved, and can be revised between readings – failed.Superintendent of Schools Paul Dulac said administrators needed more time to assess the impact of the wellness class changes and Principal Kenneth Weinstein questioned the language change.?Opting out is a reasonable way for families to object,” Weinstein said. “I?m worried about families that aren?t organized enough to opt in.”Dick Nohelty said he could support making detailed information available to parents and having them opt out only.Lederman agreed to that change and the altered policy was adopted on the first reading.His second policy change, also submitted 48 hours before the meeting, alters graduating requirements and his colleagues were even more reluctant to approve that on a first reading.Lederman?s revision eliminated a year of technology, two years of fine or practical arts and four years of wellness from the requirement list.Dulac said a graduation requirement change affected 3,300 Marblehead High students and asked the School Committee to take time to develop a plan to examine the requirements.?I?ve never seen (graduation requirements) done this way,” he said.Dulac and Weinstein offered to return to the next committee meeting with a study timeline, and Chun postponed a first reading of the changes until then.